latchkey child; latchkey kid
Refers to a child who carries a house key and returns home alone because parents are working. Common in discussions of child welfare and social change.
With more dual-income households, the number of latchkey children has increased.
When I was in elementary school, I was a latchkey kid.
Standard kanji-kana spelling.
Mixed kana-kanji variant.
Katakana variant for emphasis or stylistic effect.
Compound of 鍵 (key) and 子 (child), with a geminate consonant inserted for euphony. The term became common in Japan during the 1970s and 1980s as more mothers entered the workforce.